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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ground — crushed
  3. object — to protest
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. last — final
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. key — for a lock
  10. object — an aim
  11. dip — to sink
  12. ground — a position
  13. file — a tool
  14. object — a thing
  15. rest — a break
  16. rest — what's left
  17. last — to go on
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. file — a line of people
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — the earth
  23. file — a document
  24. key — the most important part

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com